LAKERS’ JERRY BUSS LEAVES OVERWHELMING SPORTS LEGACY
‘GREATEST OWNER’

“He combined professionalism, dignity, class, style, culture, fun, compassion, loyalty, vision, dreams and sustainability,” said Walton, who eulogized Buss for about 15 minutes without my asking a question. “He was unique in so many ways. He was as humble and as giving and as caring as a man in his position could be. We are so lucky to have had him in our lives.”

Buss was in the entertainment business. He was L.A. sports’ Cecil B. DeMille. The Lakers pushed the Dodgers back into Chavez Ravine. He spent so much money it was ridiculous, but for the most part, he spent it wisely. As Walton offered, he didn’t throw money away on bad ballplayers.

“He had guys who could deliver and he had (broadcaster) Chick Hearn to sell it,” Walton said. “What he basically said was, ‘Let’s make it really cool and really fun.’ There were no limits. He was going for it. He was such a great champion, a timeless great champion.

“He leaves an incredible legacy we can all learn from, all the things that go into life, business, community, he lived those things and he did it naturally. He was out in front of everybody and everything.”

Fans of all sports will ask, “Why can’t our owner be like Jerry Buss?” Well, it can’t happen, because there was only one.

“When you have a great organization, it all comes down to style and culture,” Walton said. “Dr. Buss was responsible for that. As we get older, we always look back and think of things we had done halfway in our lives, where we could have done better. Jerry Buss drove that train all the way to the promise land and returned it to the station. Thank you, Dr. Buss, for making it exciting. He was a genius, but it always came back to the theme of building, and he did it many different ways, through different cycles.

“Jerry sold hopes and dreams. He was emblematic of all the dreamers who come to Southern California. It worked.”

Not many of us get to live the dream. Jerry Buss not only lived it for himself, but for so many others in his orbit. This was a man of great vision. RIP.